Polar body analysis by array comparative genomic hybridization accurately predicts aneuploidies of maternal meiotic origin in cleavage stage embryos of women of advanced maternal age.

Study Question: How accurate is array comparative genomic hybridization (array CGH) analysis of the first polar body (PB1) and second polar body (PB2) in predicting aneuploidies of maternal meiotic origin in the cleavage stage embryos of women of advanced maternal age?

Summary Answer: Almost all of the aneuploidies detected in cleavage stage embryos were associated with copy number changes in the polar bodies (93%) and all but one (98.5%) were predicted to be aneuploid. A minority of copy number changes (17%), mainly in PB1, did not result in the predicted changes in the embryo, but many of these were small copy number changes, which are likely to be artefacts.

Altered skeletal muscle insulin signaling and mitochondrial complex II-III linked activity in adult offspring of obese mice.

We recently reported insulin resistance in adult offspring of obese C57BL/6J mice. We have now evaluated whether parameters of skeletal muscle structure and function may play a role in insulin resistance in this model of developmental programming. Obesity was induced in female mice by feeding a highly palatable sugar and fat-rich diet for 6 wk prior to pregnancy, and during pregnancy and lactation.

Rapid neonatal weight gain in rats results in a renal ubiquinone (CoQ) deficiency associated with premature death.

We have recently reported that maternal dietary imbalance during pregnancy and lactation can reduce the lifespan of offspring. Rats that were growth restricted in utero by maternal protein restriction and underwent rapid weight gain when suckled by control fed dams died earlier than animals whose mothers were fed a control diet throughout pregnancy and lactation. We demonstrate here that mitochondrial abnormalities and DNA damage occur in the kidney of offspring who die prematurely.